Life at a "Swell's" pace

Five Simple Things (December 17)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Tree.

The tree in our city and the park that gets a slash of color this time of year was shining bright, even through the rain. I always admire it from a distance due to the cluster of lights everywhere. It's kind of a sensory overload with how many lights they put up each year. Plus, I think it looks better from a distance anyway.

2. These Boys.

The boys agreed to do a No Shave November this year and we donated to prostate health, as well. We try to pick a charity each year around December and this was the first time we participated in the NSN. You can help us, too by donated through the No Shave November page here, or creating your own page to participate. Once December came, though, the boys were happy to be able to shave once again, but we were able to raise $200 towards this great cause.

3. This Lights.

Skylar and me are huge Stranger Things fans and I've been looking out for some lights similar to the ones Joyce Byers hung up in her living room to communicate with Will. I found these for now. They are close, but not quite the same. I will continue to hunt for them, but for now, these are pretty close.

4. These Sandwiches.

Skylar and Jeff went to pick up lunch at our local food co-op and the deli worker, that we all know, made our sandwiches. She is always so kind to us and her sweet messages made our day.

5. This Box.

This week's Misfits Market box was full of great things. Trail mix, vegetables, fruits, sparkling water, and snacks. We are loving our subscription to this box. Everything that comes in the boxes are things we would buy ourselves. Most things are USDA Organic, but everything that comes is nongmo. After switching to 100% nongmo, we are pleased to find a food box that respects those values. You can sign up here to start your own subscription and to get $10 off your first box.

Did you catch the Geminids Meteor Shower on December 13?

Positive affirmations this week:

Keeping your surroundings clutter-free actually helps your mental health more than you think. I find myself getting scatter-brained, irritable, and edgy when I don't have my house, rooms, car, or even yard in tidy order. If you aren't sure where to start, start in one room and organize it for a week. Stay in that one room and don't venture away from it until that room is where you want it, as far as being tidy. Once that room is done, more to another room. I started small and now am where I want to be. Every day is a day to declutter more. I take note of what I bring through my door and make sure it earns its place in my house, or yard. Keeping things tidy will help keep your mental health in check over time. You can do this! For more tips check out my minimalism posts

here.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (December 10)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Flowers.

We used these for our Thanksgiving table spread, but they are still going strong even two weeks later. I've been changing the water every day and cutting away any spots that aren't doing well. I'm not sure what the key is to keeping flowers long-lasting, but I must have gotten a good bunch, or doing something right.

2. These Boxes.

This week I received a lot of the subscription boxes I've been waiting for. The one above is the monthly "Fix" from Mightnest. I love the lavender soap and the Soap Lifts are amazing! You can sign up for this monthly box here.

This is a new one. I will post about it for the next three months. It's called Yogi Secret and this was the first box I received. I like a few of the items, but not all of them. I will see how I like the next two months on whether I keep it going, or not. You can sign up for this box here.

And, the diehard, Fab Fit Fun for this month. Again, this is another one that I do love, but will be ending at the end of this year. It was a good run for the year I had it, but I would like to check out other boxes, too. As always, you can sign up for this box here.

3. These Tickets.

This week we went to the Pix Theatre in Albany, Oregon, and watched Dune. Although the movie was long, it was a good movie. We will definitely be watching the next movies that follow this book series.

4. These "Glasses."

I picked these 3D glasses up at a local toy store in Corvallis, Oregon, and they make lights look like little snowflakes. They are even better to look through when I got high a few nights in a row and looked through them. I love these kind of 3D glasses, but the snowflake ones are the best. Here are ones that are similar.

5. This Kitty.

She woke my up promptly at 5:00 a.m. to let me know she was out of water in her dish. I normally get up around 5:30 a.m., so it was perfect timing. She also wanted some treats, so can't fault her on that.

Did you see the moon between Jupiter and Saturn this week (6,7,8,and 9), or Earthquake warnings this week on the eighth? It was a bit alarming for the earthquake notification on my phone to go off, and there was a tsunami warning, but it was mild here with the waves and thankfully nothing came from it. Still, even after living here for over 15 years, it's still a starling warning to see and several back to back. We have go-bags already prepared, so if anything did happen we would be able to take off quickly. That goes for any weather, or emergency situation. We have since revamped our go-bags and our emergency preparedness since the wildfires. Hopefully, we will never have to use them, but if we did, we are ready.

Positive affirmations this week:

I am not a morning person at all, but lately I have found small joys in getting up before the sun is up. The early mornings feels like the rest of the world is still asleep and you're pretty much the only one that's up for the day and the only one that's awake. It feels like it isn't really a real day and you're still sound asleep and dreaming. The best part of that moment and that time of day is that all your problems seem to be nothing and it almost, just for that moment, feels like you can conquer everything and there's no stress in the world for you. It feels like everything is doable and all the stress, problems, worries, mental health struggles, and/or issues that face you daily are gone. Because, it's just you, the world, and the sunrise. I've slipped up a bit lately getting up at a good time that works for me, but by January 2022 I will be right back on that schedule and keeping track of myself and what works for me.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (December 3)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Advent.

This is the second year we're done the advent calendar. It's a large part of Skylar's gift giving, but it also adds in a lot of great, little gifts he has asked for throughout the year. I will probably continue to do this each year, no matter how old he gets. It really is a lot of fun. You can see what I put in these little bags per my Instagram post here.

2. This Test.

Skylar finally got into the DMV here in our city after waiting what seemed like two years. It was hard to get an appointment where both Jeff and me could be there to watch him. He did a great job and the lady that did his test was a perfect match for his personality, too. He told her that he has a slight hearing issue and she really helped him out in being able to hear the instructions clearly. He is now a licensed driver, and he gets to retire his permit. Next thing will be him driving by himself, but I am still not really.♥

3. This View.

If you've never seen the western side of the Cascade Mountain Range, well there it is. Covered in snow and looking lovely. Honestly, the people that have lived in this area their entire life really take these mountains and views for granted. I've lived here for almost 18 years and I never take any of it for granted and sometimes, the view is so amazing I actually tear up. Oregon is such a beautiful state.

4. This Box.

This is the November Kiwi Eco Box and the soap in this box smells amazing! The Happy Thanksgiving card is a plantable greeting card that can be soaked in water and planted in dirt to grow wild flowers. This box is always my favorite one to receive and I can't say enough about it. You can sign up for it here.

5. This Wine.

I honestly hate wine, but these wines by Snoop Dogg I just can't pass up. I love the old crime labels on the bottles and now there is one with Martha Stewart on it. I will probably snag any of these I find and hang onto them. I love these two bottles with the Sepia-toned criminals on the label. Reminds me of our podcast and all the 1800s serial killers we've covered.

Did you catch the Winter Hexagon this week (11/29), or the Moon near Mars (12/1), or Venus at its brightest (12/3)?

Positive affirmations this week:

One thing I learned during therapy sessions is the five-point recentering method. It's called many different names, but overall it helps you focus on other things and helps get your anxiety, PTSD, or any other moment of mental health distress back to a more manageable level. If you aren't familiar with this method here are the key points to remember. It's five points with your senses-sight, feeling, listening, scent, and taste.

*Five things you can see around you at that very moment.

*Four things you can feel at that very moment.

*Three things you can hear at that very moment.

*Two things you can smell at that very moment.

*One thing you can taste at that very moment.

When you're in a moment of uncertainty with your mental health struggles, this is a good practice to get into in order to bring you back to where you need to be to be able to handle what you're going through. It won't fix things at that moment, but it does help with the disassociation. It's always good to have someone there to support you in those times, too, that can help walk you through the five point-centering. You can do this!